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Um, NCAA, any time you're ready, we're ready ... to hear about the findings from the investigation you reopened last summer into an academic scandal at mighty North Carolina. You know, the one where a former U.S. Justice Department official found that from 1993-2011 an African American Studies administrator handed out assignments, then high grades after just a scan of the work? The one where 3,100 students were affected, half of them athletes? Yeah that one. The one considered by many as the biggest and the most egregious case of academic fraud in the history of the, gulp, NCAA. Now, 10 of the 15 players on the 2005 national championship basketball team majored in African and...

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Um, NCAA, any time you're ready, we're ready ... to hear about the findings from the investigation you reopened last summer into an academic scandal at mighty North Carolina. You know, the one where a former U.S. Justice Department official found that...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs figure to look a whole lot different next season. After agreeing to terms with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Chiefs opened free agency Tuesday by signing veteran safety and former UConn star Tyvon Branch to a...

The fight is on. Better late than never, we guess. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have signed a contract — a process at least five years in the making — and will face each other May 2 in Las Vegas. It will be the biggest money-maker...

How would Pot Roast look in silver and black? Terrance Knighton, who grew up in Windsor, is an unrestricted free agent and the Denver Post reports that the Oakland Raiders are interested. Knighton has been a solid defensive lineman for the Denver...

Eight nights before he coached in his sixth Super Bowl, Bill Belichick was a punchline. Embroiled in an NFL investigation into allegations that his team used underinflated footballs in an AFC Championship Game victory, Belichick has become fodder for...

Nick DeFelice is CEO of a prominent New Britain manufacturing company, but his happiest days were in the 1960s and '70s when he played semi-pro football and was paid to crash into guys the size of refrigerators.
DeFelice traveled all over with the...

PHOENIX — Four months ago, the Patriot Way was broken.
The New England Patriots, one of the NFL's most successful franchises for the past 15 years, were 2-2 and coming off an embarrassing Monday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The debate on the New...

Cheating, getting an edge, pushing the boundaries, skirting the intent of a rule ... it only seems like the Patriots invented the art form. But it has been going on for years. Here's how in various sports, with contributions from Courant staff writers...

When Adam Vinatieri booted the game-winning field goal that secured the Patriots their first Super Bowl title in 2002, a high school kid in Needham, Mass., was celebrating.Steven Hauschka, a 16-year-old soccer and lacrosse player, was a huge Patriots fan....

Before we had Deflategate, there was Spygate.
Has any professional coach — a hugely successful professional coach, mind you — ever been so tied to cheating or bending the rules? Bill Belichick is the "gate" coach, linked more closely to Richard...

It doesn't matter if we want Deflategate. It doesn't matter if we don't want Deflategate.
We NEED Deflategate.
Whether the Patriots purposely took some of the air out of their footballs Sunday as they were taking all of the air out of the Indianapolis...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — While Tom Brady is preparing for his ninth AFC Championship Game appearance, an old adversary is tossing darts. But Brady elected to take the high road when asked Thursday about a critique from Ray Lewis. The former Baltimore Ravens...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — There have been two pressing questions in the hours and days leading to the AFC Championship Game.1. How many times will the Patriots run the ball against the Colts?2. Who will be the first to open his mouth and erase any doubt that...

The MLS SuperDraft is Thursday and the consensus top pick played in Storrs. UConn sophomore Cyle Larin had 52 points on 23 goals and six assists in 39 games for the Huskies. He also has a slew of honors, including AAC rookie of the year in 2013...

One of the highlights of the season for local college basketball fans is a visit by the Cincinnati Bearcats and their animated coach, Mick Cronin. But when UConn hosts Cincinnati next Saturday at the XL Center, Cronin won't be roaming the sideline. The...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The owner of the St. Louis Rams plans to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles County, boosting the chances that pro football could return to the region, according to a newspaper report. Stan Kroenke has partnered with Stockbridge...

Things have been going well on the field for the Carolina Panthers, who play the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday in an NFC division playoff game. But off the field, not so much. Quarterback Cam Newton got hurt in a car accident on Dec. 9, injuring his...

Top-ranked Kentucky absolutely humiliated UCLA Saturday, scoring the first 24 points of the game, leading 41-7 at halftime and going on to an 83-42 victory in Chicago. Sadly for UCLA, this mess was on national television. It looked like one of those...

On this final day of the NFL season there is much at stake that will make for great appointment television. You want post-season scenarios? The NFL will deliver a plethora of them on Sunday.
The highlights: The Lions and Packers play for the NFC...